Cassidy was widely expected to win the runoff after neither candidate cleared 50 percent in the first round of voting. The outcome seemed so certain the Democratic campaign arm pulled its ad buys mere days after the midterms, thus effectively conceding the race and leading Landrieu to accuse the national party of having "walked away" from her.

The outcome gives the GOP a 54-seat majority in the next Senate, and it leaves Democrats with no senators remaining in the nation's Deep South. Jon Terbush

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) lashed out Tuesday at her party's campaign committee, saying it had given up on helping her win re-election.

"I am extremely disappointed in the Democratic Senatorial [Campaign] Committee," she told The Washington Post. "I've said that. You know, they just walked away from this race."

Landrieu faces a runoff election Saturday against Rep. Bill Cassidy (R) because neither candidate claimed at least 50 percent in the Nov. 4 midterm. Days after that vote, the DSCC pulled its ads from the airwaves, effectively conceding the race. Jon Terbush

The concession means Republicans will likely begin the next session of Congress with a 54-seat majority. Louisiana's Senate race is yet to be decided in a runoff next month, but Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) is expected to lose by a wide margin. Jon Terbush

The Republican Party and outside groups used phony Twitter accounts to secretly — and perhaps illegally — share polling data ahead of the midterm elections, according to a big CNN scoop.

The National Republican Campaign Committee and at least two outside groups — Karl Rove's super PAC American Crossroads, and American Action Network — utilized the accounts. Though the information was technically posted in public view, it could still represent a violation of campaign finance restrictions that bar coordination between campaigns and outside groups.

The Twitter accounts vanished after CNN contacted the groups involved, all of which declined to comment for the story. Read the whole CNN article here. Jon Terbush

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Sunday that President Obama should let Republicans set the political agenda next year.

"The president has got to learn that he lost this last election round," Romney said on CBS' Face the Nation. "The American people spoke loud and clear. Let those people who were elected come together with a piece of legislation on this and other topics, and then he has a chance to veto them if he doesn't like them." --Jon Terbush

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) publicly said on Thursday that she will not vote for Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to continue as leader of the Democrats in the Senate — though her one statement on this matter is not likely to have any great impact.

"I will not," McCaskill told reporters when she was asked about supporting Reid, Roll Call reports, as she she was entering the Democratic meeting for their leadership elections.

McCaskill also said that she believes the election results last week show the need to change the political leadership in Washington, according to The Associated Press. Democrats lost their majority in the Senate, going from 55 seats in their caucus to as few as 46.

However, Reid is universally expected to continue as Democratic leader in the minority, and moreover no opponent has even emerged to challenge him. Eric Kleefeld

A week after election night, Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan said early Wednesday that with the ballots counted on Tuesday, Sen. Mark Begich (D) won't be able to make up the 7,911-vote gap in the uncertified tally. The Associated Pressagreed, naming Sullivan the winner of the close contest. There are still an unknown number of votes to count, mostly from Alaska's far-out communities. Alaska hopes to certify the election results by Nov. 28.

Begich hasn't conceded the race. "Sen. Begich believes every vote deserves to be counted in this election," campaign manager Susanne Fleek-Green told AP early Wednesday. "There are tens of thousands of outstanding votes and Sen. Begich has heard from rural Alaskans that their votes deserve to be counted and their voices deserve to be heard." In the gubernatorial race, independent Bill Walker maintains a roughly 4,000-vote lead over Gov. Sean Parnell (R). Walker plans on naming a transition team later today. Peter Weber